Malithanore Vanyali
"I won't let them take you away from me. I'll be your protection, And I'll fight for you endlessly." Appearance An illusionist by trade, Malithanore doesn't go anywhere without looking his best, no matter whether he is entertaining a court or walking onto a battlefield. Despite his profession, he doesn't often stray from his basic silhouette; that of a slim, high elven man. His slender build makes it clear at a glance that he prefers agility over strength, often dancing away from blows rather than taking them head-on. Despite his preferred school of magic, there are pieces of jewelry on his person that remain the same regardless of his attire. They also remain visible, no matter whether they should be or not. The first of his jewelry is his wedding ring upon his left ring finger. It is a mirror-like silver band, with a faintly glowing inlay of amber filigree around the middle. The second is a ring upon his right middle finger. It is gold in color, with an amethyst set into the center of it. The suits of a card deck are engraved into the metal at regular intervals upon the band itself: clovers, diamonds, hearts, and spades. The last is a necklace. It is made of a bronze material, intricately carved into swirls that, all together, create an orb. In the center is a small latch, quite hard to spot from a distance, and the seam it is affixed to blends well into the rest of the design. Within the sphere itself is a vibrant mote of amber, which gives off its own light. Repertoire Skilled in combat, Malithanore has plenty of tricks up his sleeves to react & deal with enemies accordingly. He is most notably skilled in cryomancy, hydromancy, and raw arcane, though he is often seen using illusions to confound and disorient enemies. What some might not expect of him and his boisterous personality and spellwork, however, is his skill with dual blades and the art of subtlety. For the times that attacking outright isn't ideal (and even in times where it might be), he dons a mask, and utilizes his agility and magic to go unseen. History, Abridged Early Life Born to a common family in Silvermoon City (-446 L.C.), Malithanore went through extensive magical training, as one would expect of any up-and-coming elven mage. This meant he often hopped between Silvermoon proper and Dalaran for teaching, finally graduating in Silvermoon around his first century. By the time that he finished schooling, and thanks to a stroke of luck, he was enlisted as family protector to the Manawhisper House. This also entailed becoming an adviser to the matriarch at the time, Naelitha Manawhisper. From that point onward, much of his personal life became fairly secretive. Most didn't learn much about him beyond the surface, and it is a trait that he still utilizes to this day. The Second War During the Second War, Naelitha Manawhisper wound up captured by an orcish warlock and his subordinates. Malithanore successfully rescued her, at the cost of going missing in the same mission. Silvermoon listed him as MIA, and after several years of no contact, finally listed him as 'killed in action'. The Third Legion Invasion Near the beginning of 37 L.C., the Highguard encountered Malithanore by a stroke of luck. Inducted formally into the Highguard by Warmagus Dal'itha Manawhisper, the illusionist worked his way up the ranks within the Silver Covenant. He became a magister in the battlemagi corps, and scout-lieutenant in the outrunners. * Symphony of Suramar L.C. * Tournament of Ages L.C. * Grand Alliance Siege of Antorus L.C. A Short-Lived Peace In the tense lull of peace between the victory on Argus and the burning of Teldrassil, Malithanore and his companions were forced to take an extended leave from the Highguard to pursue his kidnapped daughter into Forsaken territory, in an effort to avoid worsening tensions between the Horde and Alliance. To accomplish this goal, the Duskfall Collective was founded. A loose military organization that, at the time, could go under the radar and effectively be unidentifiable should any Forsaken come knocking. This mission took two months' time to complete, during which he grew closer to the woman he would eventually marry: Seriphene Vanyali. With his daughter safely returned to his side, he and his companions were officially reinstated into the Highguard, however he continued to work with the Duskfall Collective thereafter. The Blood War Meeting Janessa & Isabel Amongst those who followed shortly after Jaina Proudmoore's arrival to Kul Tiras, Seriphene and Malithanore quickly set themselves to setting up contacts with Boralus on behalf of the Alliance, as well as investigating the disappearance of the Kul Tiran fleet. Arriving to the Stormsong Monastery, the pair were given a cold shoulder by the tidesages present, except for one. A young girl by the name of Janessa Riversage pulled them aside when they didn't leave, and informed them of the strange happenings at the monastery. Noticing her emaciated state, how young she was, and her descriptions of the other tidesages, the pair whisked her away. By her request, they traveled to Stormsong Valley to investigate why Lord Stormsong withdrew from the world. Unfortunately for them, they arrived just too late, encountering k'thir in the areas near Sagehold. After Malithanore suffered busted armor and a particularly nasty wound, the trio backtracked to a safe haven; Brennadam. Upon arriving to Brennadam, however, the Horde struck. Reacting quickly, the trio extinguished flames and saved those they could, often clashing with the Horde. While checking houses for survivors, Malithanore encountered the sight of a man and woman, slaughtered in their own home, and sobbing caught his ear from upstairs. Investigating the sound, he discovered a child, a girl no older than three or four. After consoling and some convincing, he drew her out of the bedroom she was hiding in, and carried her back to the safe parts of town. Afterward, he returned to the fight, eventually pushing the Horde out, long enough for some respite. Returning to town, the first thing he encountered was the same girl. After talking with her, he learned that her name was Isabel, and that she had nowhere else to go from here. Discussing the issue with Seriphene, the pair simply decided to adopt the girl outright. Kul Tiras & The Call to Zandalar The pair largely kept to Tiragarde Sound and Stormsong Valley, barely engaging in affairs in Drustvar. When the call to arms came out from the Grand Alliance to assault Dazar'alor, they were amongst the first to answer, with Seriphene being promoted to commander for this venture. It didn't take long at all for Malithanore to develop a hatred for Zandalar, between the trolls, atrocious heat, and disgusting -- sometimes even horrifying -- wildlife. Despite these factors and more, he remained with the Alliance throughout it all. These are some notable points from the campaign, in no particular order: * He and Seriphene fought off Horde boarders from the Alliance vessels while they were approaching Vol'dun proper. * In Nazmir, Mali fought and won against Gooldaro, Aerophin, and Valythra; the last of which he absolutely yeeted off of a cliff and into the basin around Uldir. * Accompanied the SI:7 in infilitrating Dazar'alor's treasury and docks. Breaking Point After a clash in Northrend between the Duskfall Collective and the Onyx Rose Order, the Duskfall Collective realized that they were outnumbered and outgunned by the Horde-aligned san'layn. To continue alone was folly. Seriphene and Miralyne got the Duskfall Collective repurposed and rebranded. Now a full-fledged military branch of the Silver Covenant, Malithanore oversees the Duskblades, those who prefer infiltration and spying over traditional war tactics. Possessions These are items kept most on Malithanore's person, not the full list of what he owns. Xanathos: An old staff of Thalassian design, it is made from dark lacquered wood, wrapped modestly with dark blue cloth. Both ends of the staff are capped with metal, the top end alight with blue magic. The weapon ends with inward-facing prongs, and between these prongs is a prismatic frost crystal. In action, this crystal envelopes the top of the staff with ice, forming a hollow ice blade. Smoke & Mirror: A pair of Thalassian runeblades, made from mithril. Folding Blade: A mithril blade that can fold into and out of its hilt. Storm Silver Gauntlets: After arriving to Kul Tiras and discovering the lightweight properties of storm silver, Malithanore obtained a shipment of storm silver and commissioned a set of gauntlets. They are enchanted to withstand heavy blows, and are runed to allow the wearer to create arcane barriers at will. Ornate Dagger: Claimed from a blood elf magistrix upon Zandalar, this dagger is made primarily from arcanite, while its blades are made from truesilver. Unnamed Hand Crossbow: For situations where magic is risky. It is stained black, and trimmed with modest silver filigree. Mask: Something one may not expect is that this mask appears astoundingly crude for a high elf, as it is styled in the visage of a skull, with wire haphazardly binding the upper and lower jaws together. It is designed to act as a gas mask in urgent situations, and its optics are upgraded to allow the wearer to zoom in on distant locations. The lenses tend to glow with a pink color, though not always. Wedding Ring: A silver ring, which has a band of elegant amber filigree wrapped around its center. On the inside of the band, it reads, "I am always with you, no matter how dark things seem." Ring: A gold ring, with a rose cut amethyst set into its face. The suits of a card deck (clovers, diamonds, hearts, and spades) are engraved along the band itself. Necklace: Crafted by Seriphene, this necklace bears a small, bronze orb. It is intricately carved into flowing patterns, with an amber glow emanating from within it. There is a latch upon the side to allow it to open, with a tiny writing upon the seam: "Hope can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." On either side of the orb is a tiny, gold scale, both of which are secured to the necklace with a pair of metal loops. Ethereal Shard: Obtained from a nightborne shipwreck in the Eye of Azshara during the Symphony of Suramar. It is violet in color, though it shifts from clear to completely opaque, and has a distinct 'otherworldly' presence to it. Category:High Elf Category:Mages Category:The Highguard Category:Characters Category:Illusionists